Electric illuminated sign



(No Model.)

H. A. BIERLEY. ELEGTRIG ILLUMINATED SIGN.

No. 505,346. Patented Sept. 19,1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. BIERLEY, OF LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY.

ELECTRIC ILLUMINATED SIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 505,346, dated September 19, 1893.

Application filed February 8, 1893. Serial No. 461,468. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY A. BIERLEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lexington, in the county of Fayette and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Illuminated Signs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in illuminated signs for stores and other buildings or structures, to be used on the outside thereof for the purpose of advertising the business of the proprietor.

The object of the invention is to provide an advertising sign comprising a casing divided up into a number of separate compartments, one for each letter of the name to be displayed, in each of which is located an incandescent electric lamp, means being provided for successively throwing said lamps into circuit,

and simultaneously out of circuit, and also for simultaneously throwing them into and out of circuit.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figurel is a front elevation of an advertising sign and means for throwing the lamps into and out of circuit. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the rotating cylinder.

In the said drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates a rectangular box or casing,having a front of glass, muslin, or other transparent material on which are formed the letters composing the name to be displayed. This box or casing is divided by means of partitions 2, into a number of compartments, one for each letter, entirely separate and distinct from each other. In each of these compartments is located an incandescent electric lamp 3 provided with positive and negative conducting wires 4.

For the purpose of throwing the lamps into and out of circuit, I provide the following means: J ournaled in brackets 5, secured to a base 6, is a rotatable, cylinder 7, of non-conducting material, which is connected with a train of spring-actuated gearing of any suitable construction, by which said roller is rotated. As this, however, forms no part of my present invention, and is old and wellknown, a detailed description thereof is not necessary. This cylinder is provided with a strip 8, of brass or other conducting material, extending from end to end thereof, with its surface flush with or projecting slightly beyond the periphery of the cylinder. The front edge of this strip is beveled or inclined at an angle to the axis of the roller, while its rear edge is straight or parallel thereto. The cylinder is also provided with a rectangular strip 9, of conducting material. Just above or at one side of this cylinder is locatedabar 10 of non-conducting material provided with a series of spring fingers or contacts 12 connected respectively with the positive conductors of the lamps n said compartments. These fingers are adapted to contact with the said strips as the cylinder is rotated. At each end of said bar 10, is a bar or rod 14, and 14;, of metal or other conducting material formed at its lower end with a curved arm 15, also adapted to contact with the said strips during the rotation of the cylinder. These bars are connected respectively with the positive and negative conductors 16 and 17 of the dynamo or other source of electric energy. The negative conductors of the lamps are connected with conductors 17. The bar or rod 14E is of a low order of conductivity so as to form a resistence whereby the current will be switched to the lamps when the strips come in contact with the fingers 12, as hereinafter described.

The operation is as follows: As the cylinder is rotated, one of the strips say 8, for instance, will come in contact with the arms 15 of the bars or rods 14:, thus completing the circuit which is as follows, viz., from generator, through wire 16, to the strip 8, to wire 17, and from thence back to generator. As the cylinder continues its movement the contact fingers will successively come in contact with the beveled edge of said strip, thereby throwing the lamps into circuit and successively illuminating the compartments of the casing,

displaying the letters at the front thereof, and spelling out the name. The circuit being from strip 8, to the spring fingers 12, to positive conductors 4, to lamp, and from thence through negative conductor, to wire 17. When all the lamps have thus been placed in circuit, the name will be displayed until all the spring contacts pass off of the straight rear edge of the strip, when the lights will all be extinguished simultaneously. A still further rotation of the cylinder will bring the contact fingers into contact with the straight edge of the rectangular strip 9, when all the lamps will be lighted instantaneously, and extinguished when theypass off of said strip.

It is obvious that two or more of the strips 8 and 9 may be alternately arranged on the cylinder, or one each, as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is In an electrical illuminating sign/the combination with the casing having a series of compartments, with an incandescent lamp in each compartment, and a transparent front having letters or other characters thereon,of the continuously rotating cylinderof nonconducting material, the rectangular conducting strip and the strip having the front edge beveled and secured to said cylinders and extending from end to end thereof, the non-conducting bar having a series of contact fingers adapted to contact with said strips with which fingers the positive conductors of the lamps are respectively connected, the curved conducting arms secured to each end of the tinger bar, contacting with said strips and connected respectively with the positive and negative conductors of a source of electric energy, and the conductors connecting said negative conductor with the negative conductors of the lamps, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY A. BIERLEY. Witnesses:

AU GUST PETERSON, BENNETT S. J ones. 

